For now, it appears unlikely that Washington and Tehran will enter into direct conflict in the near future. But the ongoing conflict in Syria and Iran’s numerous proxy forces across the Middle East mean an emboldened Iran. The country that feels slighted by the international community would have ample opportunity to enter into conflict with U.S. allies in the region, a fact that could ultimately pull U.S. troops into a confrontation with Iran.

In reality, the U.S. has the most well-resourced military in the world, and also boasts of more active manpower than Iran. According to some estimates, the U.S. military has around 1.3 million active military personnel, while Iran has just 550,000. Nevertheless, the two countries have a similarly sized military if they call up all reserves.

The Iranian population, which is estimated around 80 million people, is smaller than that of the U.S., which has a population of over 300 million.